The Price of Perfection
by Sayuri-Jen
Summary: What things will a mother keep secrets of, go through, to protect her family? Love only becomes secondary to obsession - and actions triggered by hatred can shatter an image in an instant. This story has no relations with my other three. Mai/Naru
1. Chapter 1

- **The Price of Perfection**-

One: Makoto

**November 3****rd**** 2007**

I shiver and send a breath of frozen air into the sky.

It's early in the morning, I can't even see the sun yet. The SPR van is parked outside the house with its back doors open, ready to have its contents unloaded. As I am handed a string of cords, I silently curse Lin and Naru for being the early risers they are. What _normal _person wakes up at 5 am in the morning to start their day, 7 days a week? A normal, average human being would be just as dysfunctional as me. But then I realize that those two are furthest people I know from the definition of the word 'normal' - in their character and job. My definition of normal anyway.

I'm in a state where I know I'm awake, but my eyes keep focusing in and out, as if I'm falling asleep. I remember being shaken awake, Ayako yelling about Naru and the case as I was grabbing at clothes and shoving them on before she could drag me outside half naked. Now I look down at myself and realize that I forgot to grab my big warm jacket. A cough escapes my lips and I stop a moment to rub my blurred eyes. When I reopen them, I see Bou-san's face, tilted to one side with concern.

"Good morning." I murmur without my normal enthusiasm.

"Mai, you alright?"

I smile at the monk who looks like he's about to take of his jacket for me the moment I say otherwise. I nod my head and pat his arm with a silly grin. "I'm completely fine Bou-san." A yawn comes out at the end of the statement. "I'm just really tired is all."

Ayako jumps in at that, her gloved hands on her hips. "Honestly! No regular person can be functional this early in the morning! I can't see why this can't be done in the afternoon or at least when it's not below zero degrees out."

"Because, Matsuzaki-san, that would be a waste of time. I assure you that your presence will not be missed if you wish to return to your beauty sleep." _His _voice comes out of nowhere, sharp as a splinter.

Well somebody hasn't had his tea yet.

Then I realize that that's my fault.

Ayako stutters as Bou-san and I suppress smiles of sympathy. We both can relate to her moment of temporarily impaired speech. She decides that yes, she will do it if I will too (though I think that the 'if even Mai can do it' was a little unnecessary) and takes a camera stand and strides off to the base.

I see Naru walking out of the front door and stepping down the porch steps. Ayako walks past him as if the guy has a sphere surrounding him, 10-feet in diameter.

He and Lin had already carried a quarter of the equipment by the time the three of us had arrived downstairs. Lin is at the base, connecting everything up now that we are here to help unload. I can't will myself to whine in front of my boss - thanks to him, my pride has grown over the years and I know that this _is _part of my job.

Bou-san is shifting a computer monitor in his arms as Naru looks over the remaining equipment, silent thoughts running through his head. I offer Naru a cheerful 'good morning', but he gives no answer.

I pout, then sigh - loudly and to myself. _Geez, he doesn't have to outright ignore me like that_. I am startled by Naru's stare when I turn around.

"How long do you intend to just stand there?" He asks bluntly with a look of irritation on his face. "There are equipment we still have to unload."

That tone of his. I scowl and sharply turn around without a response. I decide then and there that his tea will now be prohibited from him for another three or five hours. Bou-san falls in step with me as we enter the house and are headed towards the base. I burst out into a tantrum as soon as we are out of Naru's earshot.

"What's his problem this morning? Being in a bad mood like some three year old kid!"

Bou-san shrugs good-heartedly and says, "I'm sure Naru-chan has his reasons. I heard that something didn't go so smoothly between him and the client last night."

"That doesn't mean he should be letting it out on us. Don't you agree? Geez," I pout. "He could have at least let us sleep in another hour. We arrived here late last night after all."

"Naru and Lin slept after you did though, and they were up early today."

There is a moment of silence where I glare at him, half-jokingly.

"Hey, who's side are you on? Answer carefully."

He averts his eyes, grinning. "At least we're better off than Ayako. Her lack of 'beauty sleep' will be all let out on me you know."

That makes me laugh and already I feel a bit better.

The hallway we are walking down opens up to a small, yet comfortable space - the room our base is beginning to grow within. There are windows on either side of the room that allows in chilled breaths of air every once a while, rippling the curtains. A large carpet covers the middle of the floor, giving off a sort of homely comfort. Lin-san has on only a white dress shirt, and I can't help but shiver for him. He is kneeled down next to the desk we are borrowing, with Ayako watching and listening to what the man has to say. A breeze momentarily catches Ayako's red hair, and it sends the long strands in a dance around her shoulders. She brushes her hand behind one ear while asking Lin where she should store the camera. I smile when I catch Bou-san watching her, his expression soft.

"You're staring."

I say it loud enough for only him to hear. His breath immediately gets caught in his throat and he turns red, pressing his lips together without knowing what to say. I laugh at the silly expression. Leaning over, I secretly whisper: "Shouldn't you offer her your coat or something? It's pretty chilly this morning."

He mutters incoherently and shrugs as if he doesn't care the least. "N-not really. Like it's my business whether she gets a cold or not…"

Those are the actions and words I now know translates to_, of course I should. I _do_ care_.

I put down the cords, and go to shut the windows. However I leave the curtains drawn up - the bright and early sunlight is starting to fill the whole room with a transparent yellow.

"Mai."

I look up at the call of my name. Bou-san smiles and jabs towards Lin with his thumb. "You stay here with Ayako and help set up, 'kay? I'll unload the rest of the equipment with Naru-chan." He says it loud enough for Ayako and Lin to hear as well, and I punch the air with relief.

He walks towards the door and when I look up, I am struck by pieces of him - the breadth of his shoulders, the tilt of his grin, the way his long hair falls around his face. He turns to see me watching and tilts his lips up even more.

"Mai - you're staring too."

Before I can respond, I see that he no longer has on his jacket. I stick my tongue out at him, and smile.

**One Day Ago**

The client's name is Ito Keiji.

His two shining and somewhat arrogant eyes are the first things that catch my attention. He is a sturdy man of forty and yet always looks half afraid. His speaking voice, a suave tenor, adds to the impression of the charm he conveys. Upon the couch directly across the one Naru and I are sitting on, Ito-san sits with his seven year old son, who'd lost his mother a year ago when she'd fallen over due to sudden heart failure. However, Ito-san believes that it had been due to a spirit that had been haunting her for months.

"She'd been in a very weak state before she'd passed away." Ito-san says to us, a tired look on his lined face. "I _told _her that taking the trip to the temples would be too hard on her body."

Makoto's expression falters a bit as he leans away from his father. I want more than anything to go and give him a large hug. To loose your parent right before your eyes is too much of a trauma for a young child to bear and a year is hardly enough time to recover. I can relate to that.

Naru is sitting beside me with crossed arms. After glancing at Makoto for a moment, he turns back to Ito-san and asks, "And why did you believe that your wife would have a spirit haunting her?"

There is a short pause where Ito-san looks quite uncomfortable. "I don't….I can't say it in front of my son."

"Mai." There is no pause. Naru tilts his chin towards the boy ever so slightly.

I shoot Naru a defiant look. Of course I don't want Makoto to stay if it would hurt the boy anymore than he'd already been, but I also want to stay and listen. Ito-san thankfully realizes this and intervenes our glaring war.

"It is alright. We have a housekeeper that can be with him while we talk." He looks down at his son. "Makoto, would that be alright?"

The boy shakes his head.

"You don't want to show your bad manners in front of our guests, do you?"

Another shake, a bit slower than the first.

"Then please go with Maya-san to your room."

At his words, the young lady who'd been standing near the door walks forward and gently rests her hands on Makoto's shoulders. The boy is reluctantly taken from his father's side and hand in hand leaves the room. The door clicks shut and our eyes all fall on Ito-san once more.

I'm glad that Naru isn't pushing the man to speak. Ito-san seems to be having a problem forming his words. Personal issues? The man opens his mouth and tries, oh he does, and pours out a strangled knot of air.

Naru speaks to help him get on track. "You said you're wife could have had a spirit haunting her. Was it someone she knew?"

Ito-san shakes his head, like his son had done minutes ago - but then catches himself and nods. His voice comes out hardly louder than a whisper. "There was…was someone whom she'd thought had committed suicide… because of her."

_Suicide_.

I can feel Naru shift the slighted bit on the couch. The bit of information catches his attention.

"And who might that be?"

Ito-san heaves it out of his chest as soon as I start seeing signs of impatience from my boss. The name lingers in the air heavily, meaningfully. I roll it over my tongue to embed it into my memory.

"Ikeuchi Takeshi."

Naru narrows his eyes a bit, catching onto something. "What relationship did Ikeuchi-san have with your wife?"

Ito-san thinks back. I realize that it must have been before Makoto-chan had been born. The man nods and answers the question in a way that makes me curious about it's true meaning.

"He'd…_loved _her."

Naru is contemplative for a moment. I myself already had half a dozen scenarios and possible stories in my head.

Ito-san continues with a sort of roughness in his voice. "It was around twelve years ago when I'd met my wife. Ikeuchi was one of the friends she introduced me to, and back then I'd thought nothing special of him. But when she and I started going out, Ikeuchi showed signs of jealously and violence."

Naru frowns. "Violence?"

"The shoving and grabbing." Ito-san explains with growing anger. "She was obviously afraid of him, and yet couldn't see that he was beyond loving her to the point of obsession. When I asked her to marry me, we made sure Ikeuchi didn't know of it, even until the day of our wedding. Afterwards I applied for a restriction order."

I listen with my shoulders tense. I can't help but feel sorry for Ikeuchi-san. But imagining how frightening it must have been...

"He was being possessive and forceful, she'd been right to leave him! I loved her better!"

I've seen this type of reaction enough times to realize that it's only momentary. He is being affected by having to talk of such private and put-out-of-mind matters; of course he'd get irritated. There is a moment of silence where we allow Ito-san to collect himself. I silently sit wishing that the interview will be over soon. However, new information comes our way.

"And another thing." He adds.

We wait patiently, hands in our laps. Ito-san's voice comes out strong, much differently than it had been before. Is it a hint of worry that I detect the reason why?

"My son, Makoto, hasn't spoken a word since my wife's memorial a month ago. He'd been fine before then, but after coming home the boy would only nod or shake his head. I suspect that he knows something, but I can't get the boy to speak! Nothing is wrong with him, of course I've gone to the hospital. They say that it is a physiological thing and that he needs some therapy and time to recover. Therapy for a seven year old!" Ito-san shakes his head as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

"He hasn't spoken for that long?" I ask with a terrible worry. I can't help but remember how distant he'd seemed from his father - they way he'd leaned away from Ito-san, instead of towards.

"Couldn't it be possible that it was due to shock?"

Ito-san laughs as if Naru has just said something witty. "If it were, I can't understand why he'd be in shock now, nearly a year after his mother's death." His face falls the slightest bit. "But you know, Shibuya-san, it could be because of the ghost in this house. _His _ghost - and that's why I called you, SPR, over. Please do something to save my son."

I wait for the decision to come. But instead, Naru asks another question. "Ito-san, did anything unnatural occur before your wife's death? Something that could have led to you to believe that there was a spiritual presence?"

He presses his knuckles to his lips, thinking back. "Yes," he begins slowly. "I can't name everything, but temperatures would often drop and doors we'd surely close would be open the next minute. My wife had always said she'd felt that someone was watching her. And look how things ended, she was killed!" His body is bent over and I can see the weariness of his broad shoulders and the thin gray hairs on his head. "And now my son."

Naru nods and takes a sip of his tea. "Very well. I'll accept this case."

…

The picture he is drawing came to him out of the top of his head. Maya-san had told him to use his imagination and let it out onto the sheet of paper. So Makoto wraps his whole hand around the black crayon, thickly made to endure pressure, and steadily draws a line across the page. There is no green. He imagines it to be the horizon. Next he takes a crimson red and above the line, draws a half circle. Inside the setting sun he sketches in a face. Then another, and another. A whole family. Then in a sudden fit of uncontrollable gestures, he takes the black and draws in claws and teeth of a monster, biting into the scenery.

Maya takes the crayon from him and frowns.

Then the door to the room opens and standing there is a figure. Makoto sees the face of the young girl who'd been talking with his father. Something about her comforts him, just like the times when he'd been with his mother. It makes him all the more suspicious.

She had said that Mai was her name.

She walks over and kneels down beside him, a wide and genuine smile on her lips. Makoto slides his hand away from sudden shyness.

"What are you drawing? Can I see?"

He nods but remembers what he'd made. He quickly looks up at her instead of trying to hide it, curious as to what her reaction to his picture will be. She seems surprised only for a moment, an expression that melts back into a mask of dismissal. He realizes that she's different.

"A few of my friends and I will be staying over for a while, Makoto-kun. I hope that we will be able to get along together." Mai smiles again and offers him a tilt of her head.

He nods - neither happy about the news nor upset. He had been told not to speak with strangers, but then again, he can't speak at all.

So he figures that it's alright.

**Today**

Our base is as clean as any other room in the large house even when Ito-san had said that it'd been in disuse for over a year. The whole place is neat and pristine - which sounds like an impossible thing for two guys to achieve. I had been surprised to hear that Maya-san wasn't the maid, but merely Makoto's baby-sitter.

Bou-san, Ayako and John are talking with each other when I enter the base. There is Lin-san as well who is, for once, not typing up any useful information. Instead, he's looking through them and writing something down once in a while on a notepad. It's only been a couple of hours since he'd finished setting up the base. Still doing work constantly. Some habits will - sadly - never be broken.

"Where's Naru?" I ask with a glance around the room.

"Calling Masako, since you were gone to visit little Makoto-chan." Bou-san answers. I raise an eyebrow, wondering why Naru would have gone through the trouble to do so. I mean, he could have just waited until I'd gotten back. My thoughts are cut off when Ayako asks me a question. "This is the second time you've visited him right? So, how's the child taking all this?" She makes a sweeping gesture with her hand. Suddenly, Ayako looks very motherly and caring. "I mean, Makoto-chan must be taking it hard that his mother is being asked about by strangers and such. It's only been a year after her death too…"

I told her that he'd seemed fine. "He's really adorable and acts very properly - makes me want a younger brother."

"But don't you think this could affect him negatively in the long run?" Bou-san questioned, leaning forward from his seat, both hands clasped between his knees. "His speech might not come back at all."

"Mm, but that doesn't mean that Naru's going to draw back. He's positive that Makoto's harboring a secret or something else related to the case. Besides, there had been children involved in cases before." I remind them.

A pause.

"He's so insensitive." Ayako mutters.

"Yup."

"Agreed."

John just smiles.

* * *

To be continued…Two: Questions

* * *

Tell me what you think! Chapters 1 2 and 3 used to be all together, but that was too long so I cut them up. It's a bit slow of a start, but gets much better as it introduces an intricate and suspenseful plot


	2. Chapter 2

- **The Price of Perfection**-

Two: Questions

**November 4****th ****2007**

The backyard is amazing. It's the kind of scenery that would flaunt itself off all four seasons of the year. You look at it, and step back to memorize it all so that you might have one just like it in the future. I eye the trees near the back that has drooping branches, mingled with stray red, orange and yellow. The clean cut grass is as refreshing as the cold air and I have to turn my head 180 degrees to see the whole landscape. It's nothing extravagant like ones surrounding mansions - the Ito's aren't that rich - but it's large enough to awe a person.

Makoto's shoes crunches on the pebble path as he walks towards me. He has his scarf wrapped wildly around himself, covering his neck as well as the bottom half of his face. Maya-san is not far behind him, following with his forgotten gloves dangling in her loose grasp. She calls out to him with a gently scolding tone. Disregarding her, Makoto smiles up at me and stretches out a small hand. We've grown closer with one another since the time I'd properly introduced myself. He's a small boy for his age - thin, yet sturdy like his father. I take a hold of the tip of his fingers and wince. They're like ice.

"Have you been out here for long?" I have to remind myself to ask only yes or no questions.

He gives me half a shrug. It's been long enough for Maya-san to have caught up with him, and takes the chance to slip on his gloves. Makoto frowns, but keeps them on.

"The boy doesn't like to cover up his hands for some odd reason." Maya-san explains, readjusting his scarf and speaking with only half a spirit for a conversation. "These are the last pair he owns now - most of them have disappeared. God knows where."

She finishes with a tap on his shoulders, giving him allowance to leave. Immediately Makoto heads towards the far back. A trail of his breath is left behind, like smoke from a train. There is a low fence that you could jump over to get to the sidewalk. Right behind it is a bench behind the bushes that outlooks the neighborhood. Makoto sits there, and swings his legs back and forth under the seat.

I slant a glance towards Maya-san. She shrugs.

"He does this almost everyday. For hours at a time he'll just sit there and watch the roads as if he's waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone?" I echo.

Maya-san nods, sending a few loose curls of her long hair to frame her narrow face. She has a slight accent in her voice and I try to figure out which prefecture she's from. "There's no scenery to admire and he has no friends that ever come over, so it's just a stray thought of mine. No one ever comes."

_Hours at a time…_I instinctively wonder if his father knows about this habit. Should I tell Naru? Small things like these could be clues to the case. _Oh god_. I suddenly realize that I'm starting to think like him. I return to being the compassionate girl that I am.

"Is that alright? He could catch a cold if he stay's out too long."

"Yes, today it's only going to be half an hour. We struck a deal though he was reluctant to agree to it. Oh, well." She doesn't explain what the agreement was, and I don't bother asking. Her eyes dart back to the living room windows, and I wonder if there's an emergency.

"Is everything alright Maya-san?"

"Yes, yes. There's nothing to worry about. Do you mind looking after Makoto for a while, Taniyama-san? I…need to get back in the house."

I nod, but I think she misses it in her rush to get inside. I watch until the door shuts tightly behind her. Then I turn back to Makoto and contemplate whether or not I should go over. He seems to be enjoying the silence and peacefulness. His head strays up towards the sky every once in a while. I try doing the same, only to blink back forming tears when all I can see is a blanket of blinding white and blue, the sun hiding and shining at the same time. I convince myself that I should try to strike a conversation, though it will most likely end up as a one-sided one. Well, I think, I'm quite used to them by now.

When he hears my footsteps, Makoto slides over and promptly turns back to the roads. I watch with him and start noticing things.

The houses all look alike - the only varying features are the colors, garage size, and placement of the front door. I suspect that the insides are nothing but copy and paste. I hear no dogs or cats or even birds. Perhaps it's too cold for them to be out and active. Is this what Makoto had been doing all this time? Thinking things over and noticing the small details of the world? Perhaps just enough to ignore his own problems.

I go to him, placing both hands beside me as I sit down. "Makoto-kun, do you like sitting out here?"

He shrugs, swinging his legs some more. His fingers are shoved deep into his coat pocket, the lump formed beneath the thick fabric moving every now and then, like he's fingering an object.

I try again. "But Maya-san tells me that you stay out here for long amounts of time. Don't you? Is it fun?"

I realize that I've asked him two questions at once. He nods, then shakes. I receive a look from him that makes me backtrack my approach. He's probably been surrounded with questions for a long time and hasn't had a proper conversation when he most needed one. However, I decide to ask one more, a question that had been nagging at the back of my mind.

"Makoto-kun, are you waiting for someone?"

To my surprise, he nods. A slow one that is heavy and meaningful. A moment afterwards, he takes off his gloves and slide them across the bench. It flies into a bush with a loud rustle.

So that's where they've been hidden.

Makoto looks up at me, and puts a finger up to his lips in a 'shushing' notion. It is a question of his own, _where do your loyalties lay?_

A part of me knows that I should retrieve the gloves, but the other part is the one that understands him. And that part of me is much stronger. Like two puzzle pieces meeting for the first time, I feel that we have a sort of strong connection. Makoto presses his index finger to his lips again, watching me intently for an answer.

With a smile I wink at him and do the same. When we go back inside, we are holding hands, both gloveless and smiling.

…

"Really, nothing? No rapping noises that were recorded or movement of furniture?"

"Nope. Nothing at all." I reply, absentmindedly tapping my fingers in random order on the mahogany table.

"Not even one of your physic dreams?"

"Ayako," I say her name with a pleading tone. She gets it and refrains from asking more meaningless questions. Instead she tilts her head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Then why are we still here?"

Good question. I hadn't really understood until now that I had been able to spend so much time with Makoto because absolutely nothing was occurring. Everyone's suspicions about taking on the case is solidifying. Even Lin seems to have run out of things to research. Naru is in another room with Ito-san, interviewing him in more detail, but I have doubts on whether any useful information will be obtained. I let out a sigh that momentarily heats up the table my cheek is resting on. Then there is a small, timid knock at the door. I sit up and call out an invitation, knowing who it is.

Makoto sticks his head in between the space he'd made, but doesn't open the door any further than he needs to. His eyes find me, and they light up with recognition.

"Makoto-chan." I get up from my seat and walk towards him with outstretched hands. He takes one as soon as I'm within his reach and pulls me towards him. I see his scarf wrapped around him and his hat on slightly crooked. I automatically reach out to straighten it and pull it away from his eyes. "You want to go out?" Indeed he seems to have done this everyday, just like Maya-san had said. Ayako smiles at the young boy.

"It stopped raining just a while ago. There should be puddles for you to play in."

I smile. "Ayako, come out with us."

Bou-san, who'd been busy waving and getting Makoto's attention, turns to the sound of Ayako getting her coat, which has been hanging off the chair behind her.

"Hm. I thought you'd be more of the get-out-of-the-mud type."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks, buttoning up.

"Nothing. Just changed my opinion of you a bit." I notice that he's acting like it's nothing at all, and Ayako's not really listening to notice. She reaches for Makoto's small free hand and walks out. I get pulled along as well, but not before I can send the monk a sympathetic look.

_You tried_, it read.

**1 day later**

"Mai, how are the temperatures?"

"There weren't too many rooms compared to the times at the mansion, so _that _was nice. It's warm everywhere, we didn't even really need a - " I catch Naru's look and quickly snatch the clipboard from Bou-san's hand. "But we took the temperatures anyway. Here." I refrain myself from adding any unnecessary words afterwards.

He looks the list over and nods. I guess a confirmation had been needed…which means that he either doesn't take my word for things, or is an all facts and data guy. I have a nagging suspicion that it is the former. Geez if looks could kill -

Bou-san lets out a loud and stretching yawn, ending with a scratch to the back of his head. He's not the only one who's feeling that way - we are all somewhat starting to relax. It's been nearly three days, and nothing has taken place. No signs of spirits, no reactions to the equipment, no rapping noises, and no dreams.

John, who's sitting at a table beside Ayako and Masako, watch Bou-san before suddenly stopping a yawn of his own. Embarrassed, he grins when he meets my eye.

"Why won't any spirits or ghosts appear?" Ayako asks, clearly bored out of her mind. Her posture is more than enough to display her emotions. "Masako said that she couldn't feel a presence didn't she? So why do we all have to stay here wasting time?"

"Naru-san, I also believe that everything is normal here." John is smiling, his blue eyes still upbeat and optimistic. Like my boss, he believes something will occur, given the proper amount of time. I can't understand how John can be so positive all the time. The man's a true priest.

Bou-san slips into a seat at the table as well, and leans back. "Yeah Naru, I don't anything's gonna happen. I mean, if it were to have it should have happened at _least _yesterday."

Naru turns to the monk. "Most spiritual presences do not react well to outsiders, it could take over a week before any signs of a haunting could appear."

"That's a good theory - but what do _you _think?"

It's like he's been caught. My boss lets out a short sigh. "I'm not really sure. I'm willing to wait a few more days. It would be a waste to pack up and leave, only to get called back."

"Then why don't we just leave our stuff here and take turns monitoring?" Ayako suggests. I perk up at the idea.

"Hey that sounds good. Tomorrow's Monday and I'd like to attend classes for once."

He nods, taking my statement seriously as he does everything else. "Certainly, it would be troublesome for you to get any more stupid."

I hold back the evil feelings whelming up inside of me. "So?" I force out, my voice as steady as possible, hands behind my back. "Is that an approval?"

Naru has that look on his face when I know he's about to give in to our (mostly my) whining. I grin, knowing that all he needs is another small push.

"You can call us over as soon as something happens, since we don't have to travel too far to get here. Well, besides Ayako." I turn to her with a hopeful smile.

"I can get a room nearby so it won't be any trouble for me either."

"See?"

It's a definite win for me this time - there is no possible counter-thought against the proposal. Masako agrees and so does John and Bou-san. Lin even mentions that he could stay himself if Naru would like to go back to his office. Naru shoots a look towards his assistant that I interpret as one made after a betrayal. It's unanimous so my boss nods, extracting grins out of all of us.

"But I expect you all to be ready to come as soon as you receive a call. Mai, don't think you can slack off anymore. You have a cell phone now, I expect it to be always on."

I replied with something resembling a proper response, feeling too elevated at the moment to really register his words.

We left en masse around noon the next day. I was the last to walk out the door, promising Makoto that I'd be back soon. The boy nodded and quickly ran back into his room with one hand in his pants pocket. I left the house, expecting to return at the end of the week to pack up and leave.

…

_Tick…tock…tick…tock…_

_Someone was murmuring to themselves, words that failed to form any meaning. I could hardly hear it from the droning of gears and the light ticking of a clock. Time was running out. _

_I took a step forward in the darkness. It was cold and nothing could be seen. The whispering continued until I was surrounded by a voice thicker than the air I was breathing, I felt that I could suffocate any moment, like death was speeding up. _

_Tick…tock…tick…tock…_

_The sound of desperate and sudden scraping of nails against wood..._

_There was a light far off, down the hallway. Every step I took exhausted me, but took me nowhere. Naru wasn't showing up and I had a sinking feeling that it would stay that way. I tripped. The candle-light fluttered and danced, shrinking in size._

_I was nothing but a denser black mass in the surrounding shadows. I watched helplessly as a form appeared behind the light and soon I would be able to see his face. Naru!_

_But the body structure was too small for it to be him. It's not him._

_Tick…tock -_

_Makoto-chan smiled at me, and blew out the light. _

…

It is impossible for me to take notes in class the next morning - so I sit through each lecture, listening through one ear but not hearing anything, letting my whole consciousness slip away. Every once in a while I'll jot down a few words I hear the teacher speak. When the lunch bell rings, I hardly notice it. A hand nudging the side of my head is my wake up call.

I look up and my irritation goes away at the sight of my friend's worried eyes. I pretend not to notice them. "Ah, Michiru-chan. What's up?"

She looks at me and then wordlessly gets down on her knees so that her arms and chin are resting at the side of my desk. "I could ask you the same thing. You were completely spacing out all morning."

"Ah that? I was just tired."

"Are these the notes you took? It's barely legible."

I look down at the scribbles on the paper, and shove it away. "Shut up. I'm fine, really."

She doesn't seem to buy it; I can tell by the tilt of her head and unwavering look.

"It's about Shibuya-san or another case, isn't it?"

The statement momentarily catches me off guard. I lean back in my seat, grinning at her from the corner of my eyes. "How can you always tell?"

"You tend to sigh a lot more."

We laugh and Michiru lends me her notes from the first half of the day.

I am able to get my act together for the rest of the afternoon. The dream from the other night had been strange, but it didn't seem to have any importance like ones I'd had before. Just a stray nightmare.

The normal days were short-lived, however. I did receive a call from Naru at the end of the week, but instead of the awaited dismissal, I was told that a paranormal event had occurred.

* * *

To Be Continued… Three: Writing on the wall

Please review =)


	3. Chapter 3

- **The Price of Perfection**-

Three: Writing on the Wall 

**November 7****th**** 2007**

There are not many things in the world that surprises Naru. Better put, there are not many things that he is _not _able to eventually figure out. Naru knows every sleight of hand and trick in the hat. He understands that everything has a cause - a reason to inspire action. Logic is something that can be applied to any situation and therefore eliminating abstract words such as 'impossible' and 'occult' from his vocabulary.

But it's times like these when he wishes the truth wouldn't be so difficult to figure out - that indeed with time and logic (and Mai's dreams), the truth will be revealed.

Reading emotions isn't as easy as reading the charts of data, and it looks like this case will be an extra challenge.

He brushes the edge of his fingers lightly against the wall, just inches away from the black jagged letters. The liquid that looks like a mixture of oil and ink drips down and Naru watches it reach floor, all the while knowing that he should quickly wipe it away. But he doesn't because he knows that whatever is on the wall isn't ink or blood or oil. It's much thicker and a dark, night color. It's alive.

Naru, slowly and without losing his composure, walks away from the writing on the wall and towards the door. A strange smell is omitting from the blackness. It's strong, nauseating.

He can hear it - the dull and ominous ticking surrounding him. It's like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. It's like the beating of a dying heart.

Once he's reached the far end of the room, Naru turns back to face the wall once more. The camera that has been running clicks as the tape is paused. There is nothing more it needs to record. The young man takes the stand and camera and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

A layer of the wall slowly starts to disintegrate and melts to the ground.

…

Everyone is already gathered at the base by the time I've shown up. Why do people bother showing up so early when they are going to roll their eyes and complain about others being 'late'? (Late as in arriving at the promised time, which somehow became thirty minutes earlier than what you remember.)

I put down my bag of things and sit down beside Ayako, who looks troubled. What had they been talking about? Everyone else's expression is the same disturbed look. I notice that the air is thick with tension.

"Since it took one of our members so long to arrive, I'll play the tape one more time."

I stick my tongue out at Naru as he turns to the VCR. It's not my fault. I came running as soon as I'd gotten the call.

Ignoring my childish act, Naru presses play.

There is static shown on the screen at first, but then we can all see Lin's arms as the camera is put into position. He completes the set up and walks out of sight, giving all of us a full view of the room. I recognize the room - the second story, last room to the left - immediately because there are no windows in it. I'd found it strange and suffocating. It seems that Naru had rewound the tape all the way, because he presses the fast-forward button for quite some time. Then as it nears the last 7 minutes, Naru stops the tape and pushes play again.

We watch intently. My eyes dart back and forth from one wall to the other, and then at the carpet and ceiling. Then a minute later on the wall to the right of the screen, a blackness begins to spread. The black ink-like liquid stretches out suddenly in some places, more slowly in others, all the while moving and creeping over the vertical surface. It's like the thing is alive. My fingers lightly clench upon my lap as my eyes follow a certain trail. It twists while slowly overtaking the white wall like an evil plague. It stops as quickly as it had started, and we can all see the hardly legible words etched on the length of the wall:

_The child is mine. _

"The child is mine?" I whisper. My words become panicked. "Naru, is it Makoto-chan the spirit wants? Or does it want revenge on him?"

"What are you saying?" Bou-san asks, cutting in. "What in the world could have Makoto-done to have the dead Ikeuchi Takeshi take revenge on him?"

"_If _that man really is the spirit in this house," Ayako says with a raised finger.

It worries me. I realize that we have to protect Makoto-chan no matter what. Naru hasn't said a thing during the discussion - only stares at the words on the screen he'd paused. Then he looks at me and echoes my words.

"Revenge…."

Bou-san frowns and turns to him. "Oi. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." I can, however, see that something is running through his head. A hypothesis of a sort. "It's just that we shouldn't dismiss any possibilities so thoughtlessly."

The word 'thoughtlessly' strikes a chord in Bou-san. I can see his face tighten the slightest bit with irritation.

After a moment, a light voice speaks up. "It _is _the spirit of a man in this house."

I frown when I see Masako's bent over form, her forehead lightly resting against a hand. I rub her back a bit. She cracks an eye open. "I'm sorry, but something dark has suddenly come over the house and I feel light-headed."

The spirit's presence has grown stronger.

"You should lie down." I suggest, to which she complies.

"Everyone should stay alert." Naru says as Masako and I stand to leave. "Don't go into this room," He points to the screen, "For the time being. Obviously we're going to have to come back for further investigations. Mai, watch Makoto for a while."

I nod and leave the base. I promptly lead Masako back to the room we'd been using a week ago. She lies down with a sigh, her face a mask of pain. I pull the covers up to her chin and offer her a smile before turning off the lights.

Her voice suddenly hits me. "Mai."

I turn around. I thought she'd fallen asleep. "What is it Masako?"

"The lights." A look of fear momentarily passes her eyes. "Please keep them on."

I nod as I try to keep my worry from showing. I flick the lights back on. "Get some rest. I'll be back with Ayako soon."

Masako only blinks at me and then turns away, a hand over her ear as if to block something out.

…

"Makoto-chan? Mai and the others are back."

When Maya tells him this, Makoto drops his action figures and runs down stairs in record time. It's been only a few days, but it's been a long time since he's had anyone whom he could call a friend, even if Mai is old enough to be a sister. It's a feeling that can't be expressed on paper with his markers. Makoto's feet momentarily slip on the polished wooden floor as he makes a turn to the office, their 'base'. He wonders if they have lasers and other cool gadgets to fight the bad ghosts.

Almost there…

But when his hand is just touching the door knob, someone pulls him away. He recognizes the strong grip and shrugs away from it, waiting a moment to turn to face his father.

_Why?_ the boy asks silently with his eyes.

"They're working. Makoto-kun, you know better than to just burst in."

His dad nods solemnly as he looks away from Makoto's disappointed face. "Go play until they come out." He gives a small push on the boy's shoulders and walks away.

Makoto stands in the silence for a minute and then promptly sits down on the hardwood floor in defiance. He'll wait right there for Mai, he decides. For the first time since he'd lost his voice, Makoto wishes he could talk with someone.

…

Takigawa is assigned the task to inform Maya and Ito-san about the strange writing on the wall, but to only tell the latter what was written on it. It is also a precaution to make sure that Makoto won't accidentally venture into the room and read the wall, or worse, go up to touch it.

He makes it one step out when he nearly stumbles over the small figure that has seated itself in front of the door to the base. The monk glances down and smiles when he is met with a black stare.

"Hey buddy. Sorry, Mai left earlier than us to take care of Masako...uh…the pretty young lady in the kimono. She'll be back soon though."

He looks at the boy for another second as he slips his hands from his hips.

"Want to wait inside?"

Makoto nods, curiosity overpowering his shyness. A small peak past the man's legs allows him to see the shelves of computer screens. He's never been allowed to touch a computer before. The boy gets to his feet and with newfound interest, sneaks into the room with a sudden run, as if Takigawa hadn't given him permission. The monk chuckles behind him.

…

"Makoto-chan," I say with surprise when I open the door to the base.

There, on his face, is the glow of which only a child can hold. He is seated on Bou-san's lap, fingers stretched out to touch all that he could, as if he is trying to take part of the investigation. At the sound of my voice, Makoto turns with a smile. He has a stack of papers lined with scribbles in one hand, and the other in the process of reaching for an escaped pencil.

"Hey," Bou-san states with half a laugh, "he was helping me write up a report for Naru-chan."

"I see," I reply, enjoying the scene already. "Let's see how far you guys got then."

The scribbles, upon further inspection, are tiny printed words, forming a string of nonsensical sentences. I am surprised at the neatness of the letters, and tell Makoto so. He sits up taller with a proud expression. On the corner of one of the pages, I see the crooked drawing of a pocket watch.

"Aww, this is cute," I mention. "Why don't we color it in?"

It has become a game to Makoto. From what I've seen the past couple of days, he hasn't had this much fun with new people in a long time. It's important for a child to have someone they can grow their imaginations with and confide in. Something pulls at me when Makoto smiles a toothy grin.

I cross the room and take a small box from one of the desk's drawers. But before I can find fine-tip colored markers, Naru walks in. The expression on his face says it all when he looks down at the scribbles and child in Bou-san's lap.

"Hey before you say anything, we committed this crime after informing the authorities," Bou-san winks, meaning Maya and Ito-san. He is trying to keep things secret from Makoto. I giggle as I walk back over, the box still in hand.

"I became an accomplice only minutes ago myself."

Naru looks towards me, eyes void of amusement and telling me that I better start taking my job more seriously. But I quickly avert my eyes to Makoto who is watching us with great interest. I lean down towards him with my hands on my knees, getting ready to tell him about a game that we can go play. But Naru says something before I can. He sets down a several sheets of paper at the edge of the table.

"Don't let him touch these Takigawa-san. And once you are finished playing your game, do the inspections of the blueprints Lin will print out when you have the time."

In the silence that ensues, Makoto looks up at Naru with a look that only a child can make - a look given to an adult who can't see that the bucket on their head is supposed to be a space helmet. Then he promptly grabs the pencil he'd been reaching for and starts writing on the back of a document that Naru just put down.

Bou-san and I press our lips with mixed feelings of fear and amusement.

I love this kid.

…

"No, really, it was fine Ito-san."

A sense of protectiveness rises within me, though I realize how ridiculous that is because it's Makoto's father that I'm speaking too. But my deeper sense of intuition has the grip on Makoto's shoulder tighten the slightest bit. I brought him out of the base and to the living room for lunch when we ran into Ito-san. The look on his small face is swirling with confusion, or I could be mistaking it with uneasiness.

He gives his son a stern glance and shakes his head. "He shouldn't be bothering you when you're doing work. He knows better than that."

I smile to try and make the situation more lighthearted. "Makoto-chan wasn't any trouble at all. He was helping us out, actually and didn't interfere with our work at all!"

It is as if nothing I say reaches him. Ito-san reaches out to roughly grab his son closer to him. I am taken aback by that, and the stubborn, opinionated part of me comes out sooner than I want it to.

"Well, it is part of our job that we take care of the children who are involved with the cases. They are just as important, if not more so, as finding the solution to the case."

It is then that Ito-san looks at me, as if I am a stranger who's intruded into his house. An eerie feeling washes over my whole body, telling me that something is definitely off. The way Ito-san is acting, as well as Maya-san's sense of anxiety all seem like half of a secret being revealed.

"Maya, take Makoto to his room."

I am startled to see the baby-sitter walk out beside him to take his son. I didn't sense another person in the room, so I take a step back when she walks out of nowhere. She doesn't make eye contact with me, only pushes Makoto along towards the long flight of stairs. Ito-san watches, then leaves without another word. I stand there, unable to do anything, feeling powerless.

Makoto looks at me with a face of longing, and all I can offer is a comforting smile.

I don't see him again for the rest of the day.

…

During the dead of the night, Makoto hears a familiar sound. It wakes him up to a strange feeling that takes all sleep from his eyes. He notices the curtains flutter and brush against the carpet floor of his bedroom but he can't remember Maya ever opening the window before she left. He feels as though the droning of gears, the distant yet preset ticking of a foreign object should lull him back to a peaceful sleep. But something keeps him awake, a feeling that keeps him frozen under his sheets. Neither Maya nor his father had come up after he'd been sent to his room, not even to give him dinner. Now as Makoto sits in the silence a looming darkness, an unwelcome monster, creeps towards him.

There is a whisper, one that he wants to whisper back to. With a sigh, something hits against his beside table. It upends the small, polished wooden treasure box upon it. As Makoto watches, it slowly rolls along the floor to a darkened corner near a chair.

The whispering grows in volume and he slaps both hands against his head to try and block it out. Makoto feels his lower lip tremble as each hurried blink of his eyes tickle against the bangs of his black hair. Then he hops out of bed and hurries to the box. The whispers are like encouragements, a longing voice pulling him in. Makoto opens it, and takes out the round, flat object into his hands.

Only then does the strange sounds come to a stop. A tremble runs through him. He licks his lips and hurries back into bed, lest some terrible creature comes out of the shadows to take him away. He lies in bed for most of the night unable to sleep, a light, scared frown etched into his brow.

Makoto wishes he could call Mai so that she could comfort him. So that he could tell her what was happening and that it didn't exactly scare him, but almost puts him in a position where he doesn't know how to act. But he no longer has the energy to bring out the string of words he'd once been able to say without effort. He feels as if the sounds will break apart before escaping his lips. He'd spoken, and his father had been taken away forever. He'd spoken, and his family had been torn apart, his mother now dead. Everything is ruined because of him. It's his fault.

So he will never speak again.

He can't utter a sound.

* * *

To be continued…Four: Sweet Dreams for Tonight

* * *

I'm done with finals tomorrow! ^^ Please review


	4. Chapter 4

AN: To my lovely readers who were waiting patiently for an update for this fic, I apologize profusely. My years in college took up all of my time and a lot of crazy things have taken place the past year. I am graduating after a couple of extra quarters and am looking forward to getting married to my boyfriend of 3 ½ years :) (oh and find me on fb through my fanfic profile)

But my enthusiasm for writing has caught up with me and I would like to finish this story. So for those who still care to read on I present the long overdue fourth chapter!

Previously:

"You said you're wife could have had a spirit haunting her. Was it someone she knew?"

Ito-san shakes his head, like his son had done minutes ago - but then catches himself and nods. His voice comes out hardly louder than a whisper. "There was…was someone whom she'd thought had committed suicide… because of her."

_Suicide_.

"And who might that be?"

"Ikeuchi Takeshi."

Naru narrows his eyes a bit, catching onto something. "What relationship did Ikeuchi-san have with your wife?"

"He'd…_loved _her." Ito-san continues with a sort of roughness in his voice. "It was around twelve years ago when I'd met my wife. Ikeuchi was one of the friends she introduced me to, and back then I'd thought nothing special of him. But when she and I started going out, Ikeuchi showed signs of jealously and violence."

….

It twists while slowly overtaking the white wall like an evil plague. It stops as quickly as it had started, and we can all see the hardly legible words etched on the length of the wall:

_The child is mine. _

….

I nod and leave the base. I promptly lead Masako back to the room we'd been using a week ago. She lies down with a sigh, her face a mask of pain. I pull the covers up to her chin and offer her a smile before turning off the lights.

Her voice suddenly hits me. "Mai."

I turn around. I thought she'd fallen asleep. "What is it Masako?"

"The lights." A look of fear momentarily passes her eyes. "Please keep them on."

I nod as I try to keep my worry from showing. I flick the lights back on. "Get some rest. I'll be back with Ayako soon."

Masako only blinks at me and then turns away, a hand over her ear as if to block something out.

…..

The whispers are like encouragements, a longing voice pulling him in. Makoto opens the box, and takes out the round, flat object into his hands. Only then does the strange sounds come to a stop. A tremble runs through him. He licks his lips and hurries back into bed, lest some terrible creature comes out of the shadows to take him away. He lies in bed for most of the night unable to sleep, a light, scared frown etched into his brow.

Makoto wishes he could call Mai so that she could comfort him. So that he could tell her what was happening, and that it didn't exactly scare him, but almost puts him in a position where he doesn't know how to act. But he no longer has the energy to bring out the string of words he'd once been able to say without effort. He feels as if the sounds will break apart before escaping his lips. He'd spoken, and his father had been taken away forever. He'd spoken, and his family had been torn apart, his mother now dead. Everything is ruined because of him. It's his fault.

So he will never speak again.

He can't utter a sound.

- **The Price of Perfection**-

Four: Sweet Dreams for Tonight

**November 8****th**** 2007**

"I wonder why the room doesn't have any furniture in it," John suddenly mentions.

Takigawa folds the large blueprint down so that he can meet eyes with the priest.

"You mean the one with the strange writing on the wall? Yeah, I've wondered about that too. Naru asked Ito-san about it earlier, but I guess he just said it was one of many unused rooms in the house. There are more than enough rooms for Ito-san, Makoto and the maid, after all."

John nods at the information, but the monk can tell that he believes there's more to it than that. So he asks him what he thinks about it.

"Well," the priest begins. "I think there's more to the room than just the strange writing. I mean, why did the writing appear in that particular room? Something must have taken place there in the past significant enough to tie a malevolent spirit to it, right?"

Takigawa nods, urging the priest on.

"Do you remember when Ito-san was giving us a tour? He informed us of every possible significance in each room the case could apply to. But when we investigated the message room, he stayed pretty far away from it. Even before the writing appeared."

Takigawa lowers his hands completely and holds eyes with the young man. John has a fair point, he agrees. Ito Keiji had kept physical distance from the particular room, fidgeting his fingers and keeping their stop at the room short, a couple of minutes at most. Thinking back on it with more attention brings up stirring suspicion.

"There were a ton of rooms upstairs to visit," Ayako interjects with a shrug. "I don't think it was a big deal."

"Of course not," Takigawa says with a tone. When Ayako shoots him a look, he shrugs back. "We'll mention it to Naru anyway when he gets back to the base with Mai. It can't hurt to stay cautious. Makoto-chan is involved after all."

That is one point of the case no one disputes with.

…

I've always been the impatient one, a characteristic I inherited from my mother. But Naru's painstakingly deliberate actions and lack of responses to my questions are about to drive me up a wall with a newly found intolerance.

"_Naru_," I stress, willing myself to not tap my foot. "How many times are you planning on looking at _every single book_ in this library?" I pause my nagging when I realize something else. I loose my annoyance in momentary wonder and ask,"Why am I even _here_?"

Naru sets down a heavy volume and picks up another, undeterred by my mood swings. "Mai, grab me my notebook from over there."

My frustrations still on the verge of boiling over, I pick up his black book and slap it into his outstretched hand. When he pulls to take it, I hold on. Finally, I get the attention from Naru that I've been demanding for over an hour.

"What am I standing here for Naru?"

"You've been my assistant for well over two years now, Mai. I'd assume that you'd know what to do by now." His eyes hold no signs of sarcasm and it suddenly makes me feel stupid for not knowing what he's assuming is the obvious.

"Make you a cup of tea?" I guess hopefully.

"Look for the unusual. See a vision or sighting. Your eyes are as good as Johns in finding abnormalities during cases. I have reason to believe that there is something Ito-san is not telling us. Whether it is written information or a rumor, I believe that we can uncover it in this house and why it's better for you to not be cooped up at the base."

I almost blush at the hidden compliment he said so nonchalantly. It frustrates me how he doesn't know the affect his words can have on me. But just like that, my mood is somewhat lightened. He turns and meets eyes with me and I feel cornered. I turn with enthusiasm and declare, "Well I think I'll start with Maya-san! She's been with the family since before Makoto-chan was born after all." I see his calm, watching look from the corner of my eyes and I give him a light smile.

When I leave the library, there's no opposition from my boss. With a sigh, I take a left towards the kitchen where Maya-san is preparing dinner. She has her back towards me and I take chance to take in the delicious smells wafting in the air. My stomach betrays me with a loud growl, giving my presence away. Maya turns with a small laugh.

"Oh, why hello Mai-chan. Don't worry, dinner will be ready soon enough."

"Please don't rush on my account," I say, though I can't help but eye the pile of pork cutlets. As Maya goes back to humming and cutting the carrots, I decide to give a stab at my subtle interrogation. "So you've been with the family for over 10 years now? I imagine Makoto was adorable as a baby."

"He was the sweetest," the maid smiles with nostalgia. "He hardly gave me or his mother any trouble and was always polite. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

I can feel the warmth of Maya's affections radiating from her, making me smile with envy. "You've known him all your life Maya-san. What do you think made him go mute so suddenly?" Immediate worry shrouds her face and mixed with it, something else I can't lay a finger on. For some strange reason, I think it's fear.

"I've never seen Makoto so down in his life. It's like he's a completely different boy." Maya-san looks and me and winks. "But he's been so much better since you showed up Taniyama-san."

"Not at all!" I insist, but I blush and give a huge grin. "And please, call me Mai."

She nods happily and goes back to cooking. "He also avoids eye contact and seems distant with his father – well, more so than usual. Ito-san has always been the strict one but sometimes, and I may be speaking out of line...but sometimes he seems to be _too_ strict to a son as young and devastated as Makoto."

I remember the first time we'd all met, when Naru and I were listening to Ito-san's case plea. I remember how Makoto had leaned away from his father, instead of toward for comfort. I give a small frown. "More so than usual? What do you mean."

She pauses her work again with shy uncertainty. "Well, it may not be my place to say, but Makoto was never very close with the master. He was a mommy's boy since the beginning and after her death, well, I suppose he lost the part of his life that had always given him security."

"I see." It's a tragedy to loose your parents so young, I would know. Then another thought enters my mind and I change courses. "Maya-san, did you ever meet Ikeuchi-san yourself?"

The name makes her freeze on the spot as if I'd dumped a bucket of cold water over her head. But for a strange reason I don't see fear or worry. I see shame. "Ikeuchi Takeshi was a terrible man who let his emotions for the Miss ruin him. His death was tragic, but at least Makoto-chan is now safe."

The black letters flash across my mind. _The boy is mine._

Maya-san's words sound forced, if not stiff. I can tell that they'd been rehearsed beforehand but I don't say anything, just give a small understanding nod. That seems to be enough because Maya-san dismisses the tense air with a clap of her hands.

"Well I believe that dinner is ready to be served. Mai-chan, if you could be so kind as to inform your members..."

I'm glad to leave the room to think things over. Why did it seem as though Maya-chan was hiding something? As I walk across the long, dreary hallway, I can't shake off the unsettling lump in my chest. Anxiety and unanswered questions have been making my temples throb for days, and I haven't been sleeping well. As Makoto-chan's smile floats in my mind, I sense something and stop in my tracks.

At first I think I'd imagined it, but then I feel it again. It isn't a sensation or sound that roots me to the spot, but unexplainable dread in the pit of my stomach. I shiver to realize that my breath is leaving my mouth in silky mists. I quickly rub my arms and feel goosebumps all over. A sudden pang of fear makes me alert in this all too familiar setting. When I decide to hurry on to the security of the base, a blood curling scream tears through the air. A woman's scream. Without hesitation I am running up the stairs and looking for the source of the voice. As I open the door to the first room I can reach, I hear a small shriek and I pinpoint the room it came from. But as I wrap my hand around the golden handle, I realize it's the room with the black writing on the wall. I swallow hard at the silence. I brace myself, knowing that anything could be on the other side of the door, and turn the handle.

I am faced with a darkness that doesn't seem possible with the light that is streaming in from behind me. Should be streaming in. The light cuts off abruptly at the edge of the door and I find myself standing at the entrance to an abyss of mixed darkness. I think I hear something, something dull and low. I feel it throbbing in my chest rather than hear it in the air. I stay standing outside, but nothing changes and instead of going back to bring Naru or anyone else, I follow my instincts and take a step inside, one hand remaining on the outside frame of the door. I almost expect the floor to give out under my feet and my body trembles when it doesn't.

"Hello? Is someone there? Are you alright?" My voice cracks.

A cold shiver runs down my spine when I see a flash of auburn red hair. At first I panic, thinking that it's Ayako. But then I hear another small scream, followed by laughter that, with relief then dread, I realize belongs to someone else entirely. The room is suddenly a warm place with furniture and painted walls, a secluded area that is someone's personal haven. There is a woman on the bed, her screams caused by a man running his hands across her body. It hits me that they are laced with a playful air, only made obvious from the smile on the woman's face that there is no peril. The man is shirtless and young, smiling down at her as though she were the world to him. All signs of playfulness disappear as he leans down to capture her lips in his. The kiss deepens as his hand trails up past her knee, her inner thigh...

I drop my gaze as heat flushes to my cheeks. I don't recognize who they are or what I should do. I shake my head with the understanding that this is the first sort of vision I've had since taking on the case and that I may discover something useful. _It's alright Ma_i, I tell myself, _you're not intruding, this is only a memory at best_. But after a moment, I realize that there is a silence too strong and thick to be present without reason. Anxiety nearly keeps me from lifting my head. When I do, I am faced with a scene that grabs ahold of me with sheer terror.

The man and women are staring right at me, boring into me with eyes that are black and void of emotion. There is menace on their faces, twisted into unbelievable hatred and it is being all directed towards me. In a blink of an eye the woman is standing inches away from where I'm standing, her white night gown as white and ghastly as her pale skin. She smiles, and a thick, black substance drips from her lips as her gown eagerly swallows the color in.

I find myself screaming at the top of my lungs, willing myself to run away. But I can't move, can't think straight. All I know is that fear is numbing me to the core and my heart is pounding hard against my chest. Her eyes follow me and I can't blink. Hands grab at me and I fight, fight until I feel warmth returning to my body and darkness taking me under.

...

When I manage to open my heavy eyelids, I find brown large orbs pouring worry into mine. I smile when I feel the warmth of a small hand pressed against my forehead.

"Hello Makoto-chan," I manage to mutter.

He smiles at my voice and jumps off the bed, running off to presumably get someone's attention. No doubt his excitement would be enough to let them know that I'd woken up. I close my eyes and moan. There is a pressure on the back of my neck from a lingering headache and the usual queasy pit in my stomach after a vision. I turn my head to see that I'm alone in the room that Ayako, Masako and I share. I can't tell what time it is let alone how long I've been out. But what I do remember are the faces and feelings from the room before blacking out. As much as I don't want to, I run their faces through my memory so I can identify them later for Naru. I'm remembering those deep black eyes when I hear something from near the door.

I shiver at the blackness that's spreading towards me. Something low and growling approaches from the wall across the room and I can't hide beneath the covers like I want to. It's like a living thing, like the black words on the wall that had reached and grown to give its message. I try to scream but my throat is too hoarse. The blackness is almost on me when the door opens wide and the growling grinds to a harsh stop. The room is white again and I see my SPR members walking into a normal room of normal colors. I realize that I'm breathing heavily, my eyes are focusing back to reality and I try to look as calm as possible.

"Oh Mai." I hear from Ayako. "Why is it that you're the one who always blacks out?"

I try laughing but it comes out weak instead of playful. "Naru tells me its because I'm special."

"More like an unlucky victim," Bou-san says. "Man I'm never around when I should be."

"How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," Ayako says, voice still layered with worry. She's standing above me so I don't have to look down at an awkward angle. "Are you hungry at all? Maya saved a portion of dinner for you, you should really eat something."

"Sure," I reply, though I have no appetite. I can see that agreeing to as little as that has already lightened her mood somewhat. Ayako nods with approval and when her red hair shakes, the woman's ghostly face flashes behind her shoulder. I gulp hard and force a smile.

"We'll let you rest a bit longer, okay? I'll be back up with a tray in a few. Bou-san, John, stand guard at the door so Naru can't enter to interrogate her!"

"Yes'm!" Both men reply, silly smiles on their faces.

"Did you hear it too?" Masako asks softly when they all leave and close the door. In our solitude, we can relate to each other best. Even without the specifics, I know she means the low drumming, the sound of something alive mixed with mechanical precision. I nod and she closes her eyes in response as though she's listening for it again. I do it too. There is something of a whisper in the darkness but it's subtle, nothing like the loud grinding from before.

"What could it be?" I wonder out loud.

"Whatever it may be, you should stay away from the room for the time being. Naru wants to talk to you after you've eaten." Masako stands abruptly and leaves for where I'm assuming is the base.

"What? Naru doesn't want to talk to me right away?"

Masako stops and without looking back, says in a grumpy tone, "I suppose he cares more than he shows."

I lay silent, surprised by her reaction. She lets out a small 'hmph' and leaves the room. Moments later Ayako brought small portions of everything Maya had cooked. It lay hot on a tray and she remained to keep me company. I couldn't each much but I tried a bit of everything, trying to play off my lack of appetite for fatigue. Even after I'd finished, Naru didn't bother stopping by the base to question me and no one really seemed to know why.

...

About an hour later, Ayako returned to the base and I try closing my eyes after a warm meal. I asked her to leave the lights on to escape the darkness.

But for some reason, despite my painfully groggy sleepiness, I can't fall asleep. Maybe it is because of the unsettling vision, or random thoughts about the case, or about Naru's strange actions. Or maybe it's because I'd somehow recognized the strange woman's face in the back of my mind. Whatever it is, I decide to take advantage of my relentless insomnia and try climbing out of bed. A walk sounds like a good way to get rid of my restlessness.

It is painful at first, but after a moment of sitting with my head down, I am able to clear the stars from my vision. I soon manage my way to the door. The base is to my right and so I turn towards the safe familiarity. But each step takes me further away from Naru's voice, Bou-san's response. I don't know where I'm heading, I seem to have no control, but as soon as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I know that I am being pulled back towards the room where I'd seen the vision.

Soon my footsteps fall into a steady, slow rhythm. There is music, music as soft as wind that comes from all around and I can't help but smile. Then, as though delight were contagious, I start to laugh and spin in place, so gracefully I almost forget my headache and sore bruises. I am laughing, twirling, not even flinching with surprise when warm hands press against me to guide my skipping and turning. The light (when did it appear, I can't remember) blinds his face. I know who it is. _You came! _

His lips smashed into mine.

I gasp in cold air when abruptly, I am back in the dark. I am heaving for air, but feel no warmth from physical exertion. There is a light creak to my right where the door had suddenly opened, wide and foreboding.

_When did I reach the door? What just happened?_

Cold sweat prickles at my skin. But something inside me feels awake and solid, strong enough to help me keep my wits. Though Naru is absent, I can feel him guiding me. I know I have to keep looking until I find the truth. The vision or memory I'd just experienced is fading fast like an interrupted dream. Now there is nothing left but the darkness of the room. Rather than an absence of light, I feel as though the darkness is holding secrets – I can almost hearing the hushed voices of a woman, or does it belong to a man? When I take a step inside, sudden low drumming surrounds me. It's the same beating that I know has been haunting me and Masako. The beating grows louder and louder with each step until I think I could go deaf from the noise when, under a dim light, I see a box.

It is beautifully etched and polished, handcrafted with what seems like fairy tales on the top and sides. I marvel at its delicate lines and surprising heaviness. There is a simple, silver latch that I opened without a second thought. The sound from before which had fallen silent, now pounds with renewed vigor when I place my hand on the silver pocket-watch that lies in the satin cushion of the box. As though it's release calmed its anxiety, the watch let out nothing but pure silence as I placed the box back onto the ground. It looks simple enough. There isn't as much detailing on the silver, but it doesn't look like less work was put into it either. Each line that was made is sharp and so thin and intertwined that I can't imagine a person who would be capable of creating them. Somehow, I know it's handmade. I can _feel_ the care and love that was put into it. When I turn it over, there is a glass center that reveals the gears and springs frozen on the time: _1:47_. I wind up the watch and stare, mesmerized by the delicate movements of all the pieces spinning and ticking into motion. As the watch reaches 1:48, the ticking grows louder and louder, when at the last second, everything stops. Before everything goes black, I catch a glimpse of two people standing behind me.

When I open my eyes, I am back in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I lie still for a moment and listen to muffled talking through the wall from the base. There is still some lingering light outside my window and I realize I'd been asleep for hours. I turn my head to look at the time, blinking in bright red numbers. 1:47 11.12.07. I blink and frown. It should be the 10th. _There's no way I slept for two whole days. No way anyone would have let me. _But there it is, clear as the glass that glints with the last rays of today's sun.

When I flinch with fear, cold metal presses into my palm. Another shudder of surprise, and I can hear the long chain clinking in response. I position myself onto my right elbow and open my hand to reveal the pocket watch's pristine face.

It hits me. It's the time from the dream. I watch terrified for what will happen when the minute ends.

_3...2...1..._

The door stirs open. For a moment I wonder if I'm still dreaming or in a vision, but I have a gut feeling that this is real. Then I see Makoto walk in, pale, shivering, and holding an empty box. I hesitate to say anything when in any other situation I would have ran to him with worry. Something is off. Something holds be back with unexpected distrust. Instinctively, I clutch my hand around the watch and quietly pull it back under the covers.

Makoto catches the movement and a look in his eye distorts. He opens his mouth, and the voice of a man growls at me with simmering malice: _That doesn't belong to you. __  
_

...

"Lin, did you print out the papers I asked for?"

The man nods towards the folder on his left and says without breaking the flow of his typing: "It wasn't easy acquiring information about Ikeuchi Takeshi. His death wasn't published in the papers, and rather hushed up." Lin stops and takes a sheet from the top and hands it to his boss with dis-quietness. "Naru, there's something disturbing that our client declined to mention. Something that changes the face of the case."

With a swift motion Naru takes the paper and reads it over. As he does, his eyes widen before becoming a scowl. Everyone watches as the look stays cemented on his face, even after the second re-read.

"What? What is it?" Ayako demands with worry. At that point, Takigawa takes the sheet and reads it himself. It doesn't take long before his face mirrors Naru's.

"Hey, you've got to be kidding! Lin-san you sure this is right?"

"What?!" Ayako exclaims.

Naru's voice is its usual and steady tone, but it is clear that there is anger laced into his answer. "It appears that Ikeuchi and Ito are half brothers. Their father had an affair when Ito was only 2 and Takeshi was adopted into the family until he was disowned at 17. He then changed his name and disappeared until only a few years ago."

Ayako sits stunned at the news, but John processes it much faster. "Judging from the fact that their last names are different, it means that he re-took his mother's name?"

"It would appear so." Naru mutters in thought. "Previously known as Ito Takeshi. This means Keiji-san lied when he said that his wife introduced Takeshi as a friend of hers."

"Do you think they recognized each other?" Ayako asks.

Naru picks up the rest of the file and slaps it on top of his black folder. "Whatever the situation, we can't figure out much else until we ask the right questions. Ayako, go check up on Mai. Takigawa and Masako, come with me to the downstairs office. It's time we had another talk with our client."

To be continued...


End file.
